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Monday, January 7, 2013

It looks like an accordion book, but it's actually a jacob's ladder. I got the pattern from a book on making books. When it was all done, I realised that I should have stuck the letters on sideways instead ... But it was all too late! If you hold the book one way,the letters are inside the ribbons and in order. If you shake it, the letters move around. It's fun!

Sunday, January 6, 2013

I am happy that I have now completed my 2nd alphabet so I will be able to go forward to 2013 with a clean slate. I made an accordion book and I feel my book making skills are improving. I had beautiful paper which helped with the task. I bought it in Shephards Falkiners in London, a book makers dream shop. So here are some pictures of the finished work.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Here are my final letters in the 2nd alphabet. I have yet to put them into a book. Thanks Fiona for organizing A.L.A.W. I have so enjoyed the process, it has opened up new creative channels within my art practice and I especially appreciated all the encouraging, positive comments. I wish all of you a happy, healthy and creative 2013. I would love to take part again this year and look forward to getting to know you a little better and to see what amazing alphabets you will create in the year ahead.

One of my New Year resolutions is to try and spend more time at my art and just have fun making and creating in whatever form that takes. Having a focus such as A.L.A.W. is so helpful as I work much better towards deadlines and goals. So here's to a PRODUCTIVE 2013.

Just in time to post my dotty alphabet before Italy enters the new year... To those of you who have already crossed into 2013: Buon Anno!This alphabet has taken quite a journey to reach its present form. Before I'd even finished the first alphabet, I was already busy planning—and having great fun with—a 27-cube alphabet (one cube per letter plus a title cube) for the dotty-themed ALaW. Partway through the autumn (in the northern hemisphere, that is), I had already begun scaling back my idea—and collecting plastic bottle tops for a possible alternate process—but then another idea struck in the kitchen one day. To read more about how this alphabet came to be, please visit this post on my blog.

I have really enjoyed participating in ALaW 2012. Thank you to all of the artists for the past twelve months-worth of inspiration...and special thanks to Fiona for giving us this space & handling the details...Happy New Year to all!- Lisa

Sunday, December 30, 2012

I made a small box/envelope from the back cover of the Ikea catalogue. I have never made anything like this before and I had to make several prototypes first! (I usually work with fabric.) I have then used silver paper ribbon and a pearl button as a closure. I'm not totally happy with what I've done but it is the end of the year tomorrow and I wanted to finish the alphabet this year!

I have had so much fun being part of ALaW2012. I will not be continuing in 2013 as I will be traveling and also have other projects on the go. I'll continue to follow ALaW with great interest and perhaps join up again in 2014??

Friday, December 28, 2012

ELAINE'S JIGSAW

I haven’t shown any letters for the past 6 months, partly
due to lack of time, but mainly because the letters themselves aren’t very
interesting on their own – Neuland Hand using 2 pencils tied together and
written onto tracing paper (I actually have to admit that I ended up writing
all the letters in one sitting -- am I disqualified?).

Each letter was written in the 7cm square onto tracing paper
and then positioned over each other in various directions, sometimes even
reversing the letters, to create a pleasing design. I then traced this overall
design, again onto tracing paper (see below) and worked with this image.

My aim was that the parts of the letters that form the
negative shapes (unpainted areas) should merge with the parts of the letters
that have been painted. These painted areas would then become the background.

My first attempt was to paint the design straight onto a
ready-cut jigsaw, but I couldn’t find any medium that gave a good result on its
surface. I then decided to paint the design, using gouache, onto watercolour
paper. I had it scanned and from this image I had the jigsaw professionally
made, (the band of lettering was added to make the design fit a 500 piece 55cm
x 45 cm jigsaw format).

The finished jigsaw

a section

The Process

Letters superimposed

Original art work – 25cm x 28cm

Additional lettering

Arrival of the pieces

It was great fun to assemble, but much more difficult than I had anticipated!

About A Letter a Week 2012

Welcome to A Letter a Week 2012, a project that began in 2010 and is primarily about having fun, experimenting and having a regular, small project to focus on each week.

The aim is simply to:

Write/create a letter a week

Creating 52 letters

Which must form 2 x alphabets (that is not 52 x the letter ‘A’)

By the end of 2012

The main rule is that the letter must be presented on a piece of material measuring 7cm x 7cm

– this helps keep a sense of uniformity amongst the pieces which helps with exhibition coherence.

The other criterion for 2012 is that ONE alphabet has to meet the criteria of "Going dotty – polka dots and pixels”

- that means the alphabet uses dots or circles in some form, but is still presented on the square. It could mean dotted letters, dotted backgrounds, pixelated letters, nail heads into timber or letters within circles or…your imagination can have fun going dotty.

Each alphabet must be turned into a final piece which could be used for possible publication or exhibition.

- that is, you must put all the letters together into a final piece of art.